Apparatus for sizing textile yarns



Oct. 25, 1966 J, coc R 111 3,280,441

APPARATUS FOR SIZING TEXTILE YARNS Filed May 4, 1964 1 N VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,280,441 APPARATUS FOR SIZING TEXTILE YARNS John Cocker III, Gastonia, N.C., assignor to Cocker Machine & Foundry Company, Gastonia, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed May 4, 1964, Ser. No. 364,393 6 Claims. (CI. 28-28) This invention relates to an apparatus for sizing textile yarns. More particularly, the invention is directed to the elimination of fiber distortion which commonly occurs with currently known methods and apparatus for treating textile yarns during sizing.

In preparation for weaving and other textile processes it is customary to treat yarn with a variety of fluid sizing substances, such as resin, starch, etc., to add strength and other desired characteristics. Thus, the fiber is immersed in heated sizing material, passed between rollers which squeeze out the surplus liquid, and then passed around a series of drying cylinders.

The drying cylinders used advantageously have a diameter which is very large compared to that of the squeeze rolls and, due to the requirements of mill space, the drying cylinders are placed as close to the size box as possible. In normal arrangement, the first drying cylinder is normally placed above the size box with the result that the upper periphery of the cylinder is at a substantial height above the final squeeze rolls.

The normal arrangement of the final squeeze rolls has been such that the axes of the upper and lower squeeze rolls are aligned in a plane perpendicular to the surface of the size liquid. It will therefore be understood that in this arrangement of the squeeze rolls and the drying cylinders the yarn passing from the final squeeze rolls must travel in an upward direction to reach the elevated perimeter of the first cylinder. In following this course the yarn will partially wrap around and be in contact with the upper squeeze roll of the final pair of rolls for a substantial distance. It is this contact with the upper squeeze roll after the nip point that results in deficiencies which this invention is designed to eliminate.

The size liquid tends to coagulate as a tacky residue on the surface of the squeeze rolls, and this tendency is greatly increased when the sizing operation is temporarily interrupted, since the rolls become cooler than the sizing liquid. The t-ackiness of the roller surface does not present a substantial problem if the yarn comes into contact with the surface of the rollers prior to the final nipping because the final nipping will restore the position of any fibers which have been pulled out of alignment. The same is not true, however, if the yarn comes in contact with the roller surface after the last nipping. Thus, in the normal arrangement where the yarn must travel upward around the perimeter of the uppermost roll of the final pair of squeeze rolls, the tacky surface of that roll tends to pull apart and otherwise distort the order of the fibers in the yarn with the result that the strand loses its uniform characteristics and is often rendered commercially unacceptable.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which eliminates the above undesirable characteristics.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for positioning the squeeze rolls of a sizing apparatus so that yarn passing from said rolls to a drying cylinder does not become distorted by contact with said squeeze rolls after the point of nip.

Other objects and advantages will appear further hereinafter.

The attached drawing is a view in longitudinal section 328,441 Fatented Get. 25, 1966 of a size box constructed in accordance with this invention.

The following description is directed to the specific form of the apparatus as shown in the drawings, and is not intended to be addressed to the scope of the invention itself which may be practiced in a wide variety of forms and arrangements.

As shown, the apparatus comprises the usual size box I mounted in a frame 2. Size box 1 has sides 3 and is equipped with a bottom jacket 4 which forms a space 5 for the circulation of steam or other heating medium which may flow through pipes 6. The box is filled with a suitable sizing medium L.

Spaced above the front end of the box is a lead-in idler roll 7. An immersion roll 22 is placed partly below the surface of the sizing medium L and is suitably supported by bearings (not shown) mounted on opposite walls of the box 1. Mounted in the same fashion is a first pair of rotatable squeeze rolls 8 and 9. Also shown is a pair of final squeeze rolls 10 and 11. The axle of lower squeeze roll 9 is journaled in suitable bearings (not shown) mounted in opposite sides of the box 1.

The axle 12 of upper squeeze roll 11 is supported by opposing arcuate guides 13 formed in the sides 3 of box 1. The ends of the axle 12 are rotatably mounted within the base 14- of a shaft 15 disposed between roll 11 and the side 3.

Shaft 15 has a threaded portion 15:: which is received by a threaded ball nut '16. Nut 16 has an upper flange 17 which may be grasped so that the nut may be turned. When nut .16 is turned shaft 15 will be shifted axially within said nut, and the direction of said axial shift will depend upon the direction in which the nut is turned. The nut .16 is mounted in a socket 118 having a top flanged port-ion 19 which serves to retain the nut 16 within the socket at all times.

From the foregoing it will be understood that, by suitable rotation of nut 16, the axle -12 of squeeze roll 11 may be moved along arcuate guides 13. A spring 20 is attached to side 3 and shaft 15 and serves to urge said shaft toward the topmost portion 13a of guide 13.

A yarn Y is shown entering over idler roll 7, under immersion roll 22 and then passing between squeeze rolls 8, 9 and 10, 1'1. Beyond squeeze rolls lil and 11 the yarn Y passes upward and over a first drying cylinder (21 and then around another drying cylinder 23. The drying cylinders shown are of customary size relative to the size of the squeeze rolls shown, and the first drying cylinder 21 is placed so that its upper perimeter is at some height above the size box 1 as is customary.

In the normal arrangement of squeeze rolls, the last pair of squeeze rolls is placed so that the axes of said rolls are substantially perpendicular to the surface of the liquid L. In this condition, which is indicated by the dot-dash lines in the drawing, the yarn Y will remain in contact with the surface of the upper squeeze roll 11 for some distance after the point of nip. As stated previously, this contact after point of nip has adverse consequences, since the tacky surface of the roll 11 will tend to draw away and otherwise distort the desired configuration of the fibers in the yarn Y.

With this invention, by contrast, the relationship of the final pair of squeeze rolls 10 and 11 may be precisely adjusted to the position where the line joining their axis is perpendicular to a line which extends from the nip of said rolls and is tangent to the first drying cylinder.

Thus, by turning nut 16, shaft 15 may be moved and, as a result, axle 12 will be moved in guide 13. In this manner, the position of squeeze roll 11 will be adjusted relative to squeeze roll 10 so that yarn Y will be drawn off at right angles to a line through the center of said rolls, i.e., along a path tangential to the nip point of rolls 1!) and 11. Thus, the yarn Y will not be in contact with the surface of rolls or 11 after the point of nip, and accordingly, the yarn will not be distorted.

It will be observed that the construction of the present invention makes it possible to adjust the position of squeeze roll 11 very precisely and throughout a Wide range of positions relative to squeeze roll 10. Thus, should the relative position of size box 1 and the first cylinder roll 21 be changed, the apparatus can be adjusted in compensatory fashion to maintain the desired relationship of yarn Y with respect to the nip point of said rolls.

It is to be clearly understood that the terms and expressions used herein are employed as terms of description, and not of limitation, and that there is no intention in using such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalents of the apparatus or method described. It is also to be clearly understood that what is specifically shown and described herein represents a preferred embodiment only of the invention, and that various changes and equivalents may be resorted to without departing from the principles of the invention or the scope of the claims hereof. Accordingly, it is intended to claim the present invention broadly, as Well as specifically, as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus for treatment of yarn comprising:

(a) a container for a fluid,

(b) means of immersing yarn in said fluid,

(c) a pair of squeeze rolls one of which is partially submerged in said fluid, and the other of which is shiftable about the .partially submerged roll, forming a final nip for squeezing said lfillld from said yarn,

(d) yarn drying means including a generally circular member close to and above said nip, and

(e) means for fixing said squeeze rolls in a position wherein a line joining their axes is substantially perpendicular to a line extending from such nip and substantially tangent to both said rolls at said nip and to said yarn drying means, said yarn being conducted I directly from said final nip to said yarn drying means and free of contact with any other means in the intervening space.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said con- (j, t ainer has opposed Walls and each roll is mounted upon an axle and such shifting means includes (a) opposing arcuate slots formed in the walls of said container for guiding the axle of said shiftable roll, such slots extending to a location wherein said roll may be shifted through an arc of at least about with respect to the roller Il'Oll. axle, and

(b) arm means connected to said axle operative to move said axle within said guides.

3. Apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said container has opposed walls, said walls having opposed arcu-ate guide slots, each slot being adapted slidably to receive one end of said axle,

an arm attached to said axle, and

means for moving said arm, so as to move said axle in said arcuate guides whereby the roll mounted on said axle is shifted angmlarly with respect to the other roll.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said arm is threaded, and wherein the means for moving said arm comprises a nut inserted over said arm.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein said nut is retained against movement in a direction axially of said arm within a fixedly mounted socket.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said yarn drying means is a cylinder having a perimeter the upper extremity of which is located substantially above the level of the nip of said squeeze rolls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,794,236 6/ 1957 Griffin 2828 2,795,839 6/1957 Seawell 2828 2,849,784- 9/1958 Adams 68-43 X 2,862,280 12/ 1958 Suggs 6846 X 2,964,825 12/ 1960 Cooker 2828 2,992,626 7/1961 Kabelitz 118--11 3,076,724 2/1963 Freeze et a1. 28-2'8 X FOREIGN PATENTS 628,596 10/ 1961 Canada.

MERVI'N STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner.

L. K. RIMRODT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF YARN COMPRISING: (A) A CONTAINER FOR A FLUID, (B) MEANS OF IMMERSING YARN IN SAID FLUID, (C) A PAIR OF SQUEEZE ROLLS ONE OF WHICH IS PARTIALLY SUBMERGED IN SAID FLUID, AND THE OTHER OF WHICH IS SHIFTABLE ABOUT THE PARTIALLY SUBMERGED ROLL, FORMING A FINAL NIP FOR SQUEEZING SAID FLUID FROM SAID YARN, (D) YARN DRYING MEANS INCLUDING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR MEMBER CLOSE TO AND ABOVE SAID NIP, AND (E) MEANS FOR FIXING SAID SQUEEZE ROLLS IN A POSITION WHEREIN A LINE JOINING THEIR AXES IS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO A LINE EXTENDING FROM SUCH NIP AND SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENT TO BOTH SAID ROLLS AT SAID NIP AND TO SAID YARN DRYING MEANS, SAID YARN BEING CONDUCTED DIRECTLY FROM SAID FINAL NIP TO SAID YARN DRYING MEANS AND FREE OF CONTACT WITH ANY OTHER MEANS IN THE INTERVENING SPACE. 